Many functions of modern devices in automotive, consumer and industrial applications, such as converting electrical energy and driving an electric motor or an electric machine, rely on semiconductor devices. For example Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) and diodes have been used for various applications including, but not limited to switches in power supplies and power converters.
A specific example of the applications is the so-called high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission. This kind of energy transmission can be used for transporting a large amount of electrical power over a large distance of several kilometers, even several hundred kilometers. In short words, an alternating current (AC) or, respectively, an alternating voltage is generated by an AC generator, such as a wind turbine. After conversion into the high voltage level, the AC voltage/AC current is rectified by a converter station into a direct current (DC) or, respectively, into a DC voltage. The DC voltage/current is fed into a HVDC transmission line. At a receiving end of the HVDC transmission line, there may be installed a further converter station for converting the received DC energy into AC energy for further distribution.
One approach is to use reverse conducting IGBTs (RC-IGBT) in such converter stations.